La citadelle de Sisteron

« C’est la plus puissante forteresse de mon Royaume » disait Henri IV

Between Provence and Dauphiné, dominating the cluse where the Durance flows, the Citadelle of Sisteron dominates the sky, crowning the town with its walls, bastions and keep. The view from here is breathtaking, stretching for 150 km and offering one of the finest vantage points in Haute Provence. A listed historic monument covering an area of 10 hectares, it bears witness to eight centuries of architecture and history. The keep and sentry walk, built on the narrow rocky spine, date back to the 12th century.e the tiered bastioned enclosures dating from the 16th centurye Of the Vauban project, designed in 1692, only the powder magazine was built.

Major alterations were carried out on the north face in the mid-19th century.e It was at this time that the magnificent underground staircase linking the fortress to the town was carved out of the rock.

Deeply damaged by the bombardment of August 1944, the Citadelle has now been admirably restored. In 1960, the association Arts, Théâtre, Monuments (ATM) was created. Since then, it has been responsible for safeguarding the monument, promoting it, organising events and restoring it.